Nobody wants to be a tourist, someone who seems clueless about how to act in a new place, and stands out as not being of that place. For Americans and those living in America, it can be tricky to visit a place like Asia and not only be perceived by others as a non-tourist, but also go beyond perception that the place is novel, exciting, and different. To the people living there, none of that is the case: it is their normal, ordinary life.

Alison Byrnes, a Michigan alum who lived in India for seven years, will lead this interactive presentation that goes beyond the “basics” (what to wear, how not to offend) to the next level of cultivating a mindset that is conducive to deep engagement in South Asia and Southeast Asia.